Nokia still hasn't announced it, but its new Linux-based N800 Internet Tablet is already for sale and boasts double the RAM, Flash memory and a faster processor than its predecessor. (Linux-Watch)

Officially, Nokia Inc. is still mum about its new Linux-based N800 Internet Tablet, the successor to its N770 Internet Tablet, but it's already on sale in some U.S. stores.

As reported by LinuxDevices.com, the N800 is now for sale at some CompUSA stores for $399.99. This new model, from sources close to Nokia and the Carrypad Web site, appears to be a substantial upgrade to the Nokia 770.

Some of these are changes that Linux tablet fans have been requesting for some time. These include increasing the RAM from the older model to 12 MB and its flash memory to 256MB. The processor has also been given a kick in the pants with an increase in speed from 220MHz to 320MHz.

The new tablet also boasts a VGA (640x480) resolution Web cam. The microphone has also been moved to make the unit more friendly as a phone.

The unit also has two SD (Secure Digital) flash memory card slots, whereas the 770 only had a single RS-MMC (reduced size multimedia cards) slot. One of these slots is located as an internal slot under the back cover, and the other is located under the memory card cover on the front corner of the tablet. Both memory cards can be hot swapped in and out while the unit's powered up.

In theory, each card can hold up to 2GB of data and must be formatted with either the 16- or 32-bit FAT file format. In practice, some early buyers have found that the slots can handle 4GB SD cards.

Check out eWEEK.com's for the latest open-source news, reviews and analysis.

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols is editor of eWEEK.com's Linux & Open Source Center and Ziff Davis Channel Zone. Prior to becoming a technology journalist, Vaughan-Nichols worked at NASA and the Department of Defense on numerous major technological projects. Since then, he's focused on covering the technology and business issues that make a real difference to the people in the industry.